The 2013 Otago Chess Club Championship was a resounding success for defending champion Robert Wansink. He conceded only one draw on his way to a score of 9½/10 in the A Grade, surpassing his score from last year by half a point. John Sutherland finished second on 6 points ahead of 15 year old Leighton Nicholls tied for third with the writer on 5½. Nicholls' result confirmed his massive improvement over the past year.
The B Grade finished in a three-way tie for first on 6½/10 between club stalwart, Brent Southgate and new members Shannon Davie and Charlie Li (13). These three shared the Intermediate Championship, while Li's result also earned him the Junior Championship trophy in his first year of club competition.
Today's game demonstrates Wansink's domination of the championship from the very first round. He is playing with the black pieces against Sutherland.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.h3!? ---
Black's unusual looking opening is called the Kevits-Trajkovich Defence, and has been played at the highest level – usually leading to Kings Indian Defence type positions. White's last move is to prevent 4... Bg4 which might follow the normal developing move 4 Nc3. Black instead implements his other strategic idea. 4.--- e5 5.dxe5 ---
The exchange of queens on the d-file is fine for Black, especially after White's non-developing 4th move, so the plan of 5 d5 with a space advantage looks more promising. 5.--- Nxe5 6.Nxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Bg5 Bb4+
Forcing the knight to a more passive square than had it moved to c3 on move 4. 9.Nd2 Be6 10.0-0-0 Ke8
Connecting the rooks by 10... Ke7 looks more natural than this move and already promises a small edge for Black. Possibly Black feared 11 a3 Bxd2+ (11... Bd6?! gives White the advantage) 12 Rxd2 Bxc4! 13 Rc2 Bd5 14 Rxc7+ Ke6 and despite the temporary appearance of a rook on the seventh rank it is White who is in trouble with his underdeveloped kingside. After the text, 11 a3? Bxd2+ 12 Rxd2? runs into the fork 12... Ne4. 11.b3?! ---
Needlessly weakening his dark squares. The natural 11 e3 defending the c4 pawn and developing his kingside is equal. 11.--- Ba3+
This check would better have been held in reserve and the immediate 11... Rd8 was more testing. 12.Kc2 Bf5+ 13.Kc3 Rd8 14.Bxf6! gxf6 15.g4 Be4 16.f3 Bc6 17.Bg2 a5 18.Nb1 ---
Thanks to the hits on the bishop, White has been able to erect a light-square blockade and develop his rooks, so the game is level again. 18.--- Bc5 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Rd1+ Ke7 21.Rd3? ---
Carelessly misplacing the rook (21 e4 was more or less equal), leaving open a mini-combination 21... f5! 22 gxf5 Rg8 23 Bf1 e4 24 fxe4 Bxe4 25 Rd1 Bxf5 with a big plus for Black. Black misses the immediate chance, but weakens the white pawns instead. 21.--- h5 22.e4 hxg4 23.fxg4 f5!
Still good, and this time a pawn sacrifice: 24 gxf5 Rg8 25 Bf3 Rg3 26 h4 Rh3 27 h5 Rh2 28 Nd2 Bb4+ 29 Kc2 Rf2 30 Bh1 Kf6! White is almost in zugzwang, and the threat of 31... Kg5-f4 means he has to give back the pawn with 31 h6 Rh2 32 Bf3 Rxh6 with advantage to Black. White decides to try another defence, but with no better result. 24.Nd2 fxg4 25.hxg4 Rh2 26.Bf3 Bb4+ 27.Kc2 Kf6
Intending to exchange to a winning bishop ending. Even more decisive is 27... Rf2! 28 Bh1 f6 followed by 29... Bd7 rounding up the g-pawn while the white pieces look on helplessly. 28.Kd1 Rxd2+ 29.Rxd2 Bxd2 30.Kxd2 Kg5 31.Ke3 Bd7 32.a3? ---
A final error shortening the game. After 32 c5! forcing his queenside pawns safely onto dark squares, Black still has much work to do. 32.--- Bxg4 33.Bg2 c5!
Fixing the pawn on b3, which can't be defended against 34... Bd1. White resigns.
Wansink defends Otago club title
Problem: White to play and mate.
The 2013 Otago Chess Club Championship was a resounding success for defending champion Robert Wansink. He conceded only one draw on his way to a score of 9½/10 in the A Grade, surpassing his score from last year by half a point. John Sutherland finished second on 6 points ahead of 15 year old Leighton Nicholls tied for third with the writer on 5½. Nicholls' result confirmed his massive improvement over the past year.
The B Grade finished in a three-way tie for first on 6½/10 between club stalwart, Brent Southgate and new members Shannon Davie and Charlie Li (13). These three shared the Intermediate Championship, while Li's result also earned him the Junior Championship trophy in his first year of club competition.
Today's game demonstrates Wansink's domination of the championship from the very first round. He is playing with the black pieces against Sutherland.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 Nc6
3.Nf3 d6
4.h3!? ---
Black's unusual looking opening is called the Kevits-Trajkovich Defence, and has been played at the highest level – usually leading to Kings Indian Defence type positions. White's last move is to prevent 4... Bg4 which might follow the normal developing move 4 Nc3. Black instead implements his other strategic idea.
4.--- e5
5.dxe5 ---
The exchange of queens on the d-file is fine for Black, especially after White's non-developing 4th move, so the plan of 5 d5 with a space advantage looks more promising.
5.--- Nxe5
6.Nxe5 dxe5
7.Qxd8+ Kxd8
8.Bg5 Bb4+
Forcing the knight to a more passive square than had it moved to c3 on move 4.
9.Nd2 Be6
10.0-0-0 Ke8
Connecting the rooks by 10... Ke7 looks more natural than this move and already promises a small edge for Black. Possibly Black feared 11 a3 Bxd2+ (11... Bd6?! gives White the advantage) 12 Rxd2 Bxc4! 13 Rc2 Bd5 14 Rxc7+ Ke6 and despite the temporary appearance of a rook on the seventh rank it is White who is in trouble with his underdeveloped kingside. After the text, 11 a3? Bxd2+ 12 Rxd2? runs into the fork 12... Ne4.
11.b3?! ---
Needlessly weakening his dark squares. The natural 11 e3 defending the c4 pawn and developing his kingside is equal.
11.--- Ba3+
This check would better have been held in reserve and the immediate 11... Rd8 was more testing.
12.Kc2 Bf5+
13.Kc3 Rd8
14.Bxf6! gxf6
15.g4 Be4
16.f3 Bc6
17.Bg2 a5
18.Nb1 ---
Thanks to the hits on the bishop, White has been able to erect a light-square blockade and develop his rooks, so the game is level again.
18.--- Bc5
19.Rxd8+ Kxd8
20.Rd1+ Ke7
21.Rd3? ---
Carelessly misplacing the rook (21 e4 was more or less equal), leaving open a mini-combination 21... f5! 22 gxf5 Rg8 23 Bf1 e4 24 fxe4 Bxe4 25 Rd1 Bxf5 with a big plus for Black. Black misses the immediate chance, but weakens the white pawns instead.
21.--- h5
22.e4 hxg4
23.fxg4 f5!
Still good, and this time a pawn sacrifice: 24 gxf5 Rg8 25 Bf3 Rg3 26 h4 Rh3 27 h5 Rh2 28 Nd2 Bb4+ 29 Kc2 Rf2 30 Bh1 Kf6! White is almost in zugzwang, and the threat of 31... Kg5-f4 means he has to give back the pawn with 31 h6 Rh2 32 Bf3 Rxh6 with advantage to Black. White decides to try another defence, but with no better result.
24.Nd2 fxg4
25.hxg4 Rh2
26.Bf3 Bb4+
27.Kc2 Kf6
Intending to exchange to a winning bishop ending. Even more decisive is 27... Rf2! 28 Bh1 f6 followed by 29... Bd7 rounding up the g-pawn while the white pieces look on helplessly.
28.Kd1 Rxd2+
29.Rxd2 Bxd2
30.Kxd2 Kg5
31.Ke3 Bd7
32.a3? ---
A final error shortening the game. After 32 c5! forcing his queenside pawns safely onto dark squares, Black still has much work to do.
32.--- Bxg4
33.Bg2 c5!
Fixing the pawn on b3, which can't be defended against 34... Bd1. White resigns.
0-1
Solution: 1 Nxh7! Qxh7 2 Rxg8+ Rxg8 3 Qf6+ Rg7 (3... Qg7 4 Rxg7 Rxg7 5 h6 mates) 4 h6! Ne6 5 dxe6 Kg8 (5... Be8 6 hxg7+ Kg8 7 Qf8#) 6 Rxg7+ Kh8 7 Qf8+ Qg8 8 Qxg8#.